Korg Forums

pugface · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 21

Is anybody else finding that the headphones output is very noisey? white noise coming through with a key pressed, especially when the signal level is greater than 5.

el_hombre · Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 11:21 pm Post subject:

Haven't tried this one yet. I do tend to run my headphones quite quietly though.

pugface · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 21

I have been reading around on forums and found out the ms20 is very noisey. Its inherent from copying the old circuits.

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-electronic-music-production/846401-clarifying-ms-20-minis-noise-issue.html

I have a fairly low noise threshold in my set up and it stands out a mile after compression. I tried to see if it was coming through from the Ms20's mains but it isn't. I thinks its leakage of the VCOs.

Try turning down the volume of the VCOs and turning up the signal output and its huge.

Ok its a yuuky noise gate that is needed. Sad

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Equipment/Software lists Ableton, Virus TI, Roland SH-201, Korg MS20mini, Korg M50, Yamaha RM1x, Korg 05R/W, SoftSynths,,, love them all

DrHoo · Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 1:15 am Post subject:

That guy over at gearslutz is obsessed with it & makes it out to be such an issue. He only started that thread because the moderators of the forum banned him from the ms 20 mini thread because of his persistent pressuring others about the same subject.

I'll lay a card on the table for you here & it will be an honest one. The same subject surfaces in every other thread about the mas 20 mini & much of it is a misunderstanding of the synthesizer. The word 'issue' immediately assumes that it is perhaps a fault but it is not. It's not an issue unless say you or anybody else finds that it is an element that you/anyone can't live with, in which case it's not the ms20 mini that you want.
In fact the noise IS inherent in the design of the synthesizer & is also an important part of the make-up of the whole character that the ms20 has.
It's only when you single the noise out on it own & focus on it alone that it stands out. I imagine that people who have worked with squeaky clean digital samples & other spotless media are the ones who single it out & find it to be an issue. Also some people who have only ever known the sterile world of digital. For me, it offers a less sterile sound that is more in line with real musical texture.
You have to tune in to it. It's there, yes but it shows itself in different doses & textures throughout the ranges of the synth. In many sounds the noise comes through as some sort of glorious sound shaping tool, as if the other frequencies are riding on mist or something. It's positively brilliant & without it , it just would not be the ms20....But it is !

It comes down to this. If you like the sound that the ms20 or ms20mini makes then it's a synth for you. If you find the noise within it to be an 'issue' , then it's not the synth for you. I have one & i can fit it into almost anything, i reach for it often & it still has more to offer & discover. Owners of the original from back in the day might have been there & done that, bought the t-shirt etc.. but love my ms20 m, noise & everything & it's not leaving my side.

Wink

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My current Korg gear. MS20 Mini... & now the .... Oh, maybe not !
...Had a few other Korg things over the years.

DrHoo · Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 1:22 am Post subject:

pugface · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 21

Bassface78 · Joined: 18 Nov 2013 Posts: 25 Location: United States

I only run my headphones at a 2 volume so haven't noticed.

DrHoo · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2013 6:39 pm Post subject:

Apologies for not mentioning the headphone socket in my earlier post, i didn't mean to ignore it. I know it was in the original post here.

All i know though is that the headphone output is known to be noisier than the regular output so that's normal at least. It's probably pre-amped like other headphone sockets on other gear. I would recommend using the master output whenever possible for general use, connection to a mixer etc. The headphone out lends itself well to reprocessing patches as in, feeding the output back into the thing for various effects. It's all about experimenting & the ms20m has a lot to offer sonically.

I guess that if you were using it as your only synth for basses & other stuff then there will be times when the noise will get your goat, especially on triangle/sub's & the like & i must admit i reach for another machine when it gets like that unless the noise is complimenting the sound. The rest of the time though i'm cool with it & in fact i sometimes run it through a vintage early 80's analogue delay which is even noisier even when it sits idle but sometimes i want that dirt in the mix.
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My current Korg gear. MS20 Mini... & now the .... Oh, maybe not !
...Had a few other Korg things over the years.

DrHoo · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2013 6:55 pm Post subject: